Fall For Me
by hollie-lou-xx
Summary: Women always love Stefan. First Katherine, then Rebecca, then Elena. But when a striking new girl comes along, who will she choose? Rated M because it's Skins and Damon.
1. Prologue

Women always loved Stefan.

The youngest son of Giuseppe Salvatore, he was handsome and charming and polite. He was full of goodness, all sweetness and light.

Everyone loved Stefan.

He was a true gentleman. He would dance with every girl during balls, simply so nobody was left out. He had a wise head upon his shoulders, and Giuseppe made no secret of the fact that he would rather Stefan take over his business instead of Damon.

Women always lusted after Damon.

The eldest Salvatore child, he was beautiful; all sharp lines and smouldering eyes. He was so different to his brother; bravery and courage before manners and kindness. Not to say he wasn't charming, because he most certainly was. But once he realised women preferred his brother, he became a womanizer.

Because women always loved Stefan, always fell head over heels for him…


	2. Whisky

_**One: Whisky.**_

_**5:30 pm**_

_**Brooklyn.**_

He sat in the same bar, on the same stool, every single night.

Nothing changed. He watched the same people walk in every night, even memorised what drinks they ordered. That never changed either.

Occasionally, somebody new would enter the old bar or one of the regulars would order a bowl of nuts to accompany their drink. That was rare though.

Damon had memorised every single little detail of the bar. The velvety red stools, the gold pictures frames hanging wonky on the walls. The stickiness of the bar and how his fingertips practically stuck to it when he drummed his fingers on the surface. The bar wasn't particularly classy, nor was the company good, but to be frank, Damon didn't care. He was simply glad of the silence compared to the rest of New York.

And so eventually, he became rather dependant on his evening drink. He even became acquainted with the bartender. He was middle aged man of average height and slightly greying hair. He reminded Damon of his late father, and although he would of thought he would hate him for that, he found it strangely comforting.

How odd.

As soon as she walked through the door, he noticed her.

She was different to everyone else who entered the bar- most of them were middle aged, lonely, sad. She was the opposite.

He was surprised when she hoisted herself upon the stool next to him.

He was even more surprised when she ordered a tumbler of whisky, then added, "In fact, just give me the bottle."

The bartender looked shocked, but handed it over without question. She poured out a glass and knocked it back, eyes closed. Damon took the opportunity to get a closer look at her.

Her hair hung below her shoulders in tousled brown curls the colour of chocolate. She wore a baggy white tee that slipped off her shoulders to reveal pale creamy skin, and a pair of leather pants that hugged every curve.

When she had finished her drink, she poured another. With a smirk upon her lips she looked at Damon, her eyes a colour bluer than Elena's or Katherine's, or even Rebekah's.

"Another?" she questioned, her voice sickly sweet and husky.

Without waiting for a reply she filled his half empty glass with the amber liquid. With a wink, she drank her own. He mirrored her action, not prepared to be beaten by a girl.

He grabbed the bottle from her and poured yet another. This time, he poured one for her.

"Thanks," her accent was different from the usual New Yorker's drawl.

"You're from England, right?" he asked without thinking.

She nodded and took a gulp of her drink.

"So what are you doing in New York?" he wasn't usually so nosey, but he was strangely intrigued by the beautiful girl.

She ignored his question and after taking another sip of her whisky, she looked him right in the eye. "You don't act like a New Yorker, don't look like one either."

He waited for her to ask a question, further the conversation, but she didn't. and he wasn't about to open up to her- not until she spoke to him more.

"Jesus, you can drink!" he exclaimed, watching as she swigged the rest of her glass. He couldn't help but notice that the burning sensation didn't affect her at all.

She shrugged. "So can you."

Over the next half hour they sat in silence, draining the bottle between them. In those thirty minutes Damon decided that he wanted her.

"Do you come here often?" she finally spoke again.

Damon smirked. "Shouldn't it be me asking you?"

She shrugged. "I beat you to it."

Damon laughed. "Well what would you do if I said yes?"

"I'd say see you tomorrow."

And with that, she slipped off the stool and stalked towards the door. But Damon wasn't ready to let her go yet.

"Wait!"

She stopped but didn't turn back.

"I didn't catch your name."

"It's Effy."

Without asking for his, she left, nothing but the smell of cigarettes and alcohol and vanilla to make him believe that she was real.

A/N: So it's been a while, and I'm super sorry about that! I've been extremely busy with coursework and such… but I'm back now.

Anyway, I'm kind of not sure where this is headed, but hang in there, I promise it will be worth you reading! There aren't many stories with Effy and Damon, which is a shame since I think they make a great couple! Elena, Rebekah and Katherine will have mentions on later chapters.

Thanks for reading! (reviews are love, xo.)


	3. Bourbon

**Two: Bourbon**

**Brooklyn, 2:30 am.**

Effy couldn't stop thinking about him.

She wasn't sure why, but the man from the bar had left an impression on her. With his piercing blue eyes and devil may care attitude, he reminded her of her brother Tony.

So maybe that's why the next night she made her way down the twirling alleyway to the bar once again. She pushed open the door, prepared to see the bar empty.

She was wrong.

He was waiting for her, a full bottle of bourbon beside him. He was accompanied by two glasses, one empty, one full.

She smirked to herself, a mix of amusement and happiness. She was used to boys wanting her- how could they not, she was stunning- but this man was a lost cause she guessed, kind of like herself.

She made her way across the bar, carefully dodging the scattered tables with a simple swing of her hips. Although her footsteps made barely any sound on the hard wooden flooring, Damon swung round and smiled, a slow easy grin that made her tingle.

"Effy." He greeted, his voice like velvet.

She nodded in reply and slipped onto the barstool. "I don't know your name."

"That's because you never asked," he said softly, pouring out a glass of the finest bourbon the bar sold. "It's Damon."

She took the glass from his outstretched hand and smiled. "Hello Damon, boy of the fine liquors."

That made him laugh; she was glad.

"Good evening, Effy of the beautiful eyes."

Effy smiled at him, a very rare genuine smile. To hide her grin she took a large gulp of the liquid. Once upon a time, back in Bristol, she wouldn't of cared whether the drink tasted like acid as long as it was a form of alcohol. But she had changed since she left; she doubted any of her old friends would believe that she was the same girl.

"We established last night you aren't from New York." Damon stated.

"Yes."

"So, where are you from?"

There was a silence while she pondered and drank her drink. Should she lie? She had lied to everyone else she had spoken to in New York. She opened her mouth, ready to shower him with little white lies, but something stopped her.

"I'm from Bristol, a small city in England." She wouldn't elaborate any further, she promised herself. Damon didn't need to know about her old life, though he doubted she would be shocked.

"I've heard of it. Are you going to tell me why you left, or is it a secret?"

Don't tell him, a tiny voice in the back of her head demanded, he will think you're crazy.

Too late. Her mouth was already open.

"I got tired of the same thing, day in day out. My friends all moved away, everything I loved changed. So I moved." Effy tried a nonchalant shrug, but Damon saw right past it.

She took a large gulp of bourbon and ended up draining the glass. Damon topped it up again. He watched her carefully, sensing he had hit a nerve. He was a vampire, but the thought of a girl have a breakdown terrified him.

"So why are you in New York? Business?" she asked, wiping her mouth with the back of hand.

He snorted. "What makes you say that?"

"You don't look or act like a New Yorker. They're all constantly busy and shoving their way around. You seem quite happy to just sit in a dingy bar drinking all evening."

Damon laughed. It was a nice throaty sound, Effy liked it.

"The thing is Effy, life isn't as short as everyone thinks. That's why all those people are constantly rushing about, trying to get everything done. it's the fear of being unprepared. But me? I couldn't give a shit."

Effy was quiet for a while. She thought he was wrong. Life _was _short- Freddie was proof of that. But she wasn't prepared to sit there and tell Damon all this for she doubted he would understand the meaning behind her words.

When Damon spoke again she jumped slightly. Her mind had been back in Bristol of 2009, long summer days spent lounging in Freddie's shed with the gang and even longer nights spent partying and drinking and doing whatever drugs they could find.

"Effy? Are you okay?" he asked, concern sneaking into his voice.

She nodded. "I'm fine. What did you say?"

"Are you hungry?"

She thought for a second before nodding.

Damon slid off his stool and held out a hand to her. She followed his action and grasped his hand.

"I know this nice little diner that's open longer than this place. Does a great burger."

Effy smiled slightly and together they walked out into the dark night, memories of Bristol following her every step.

A/N: Kind of short, but this is purely a filler chapter. Next chapter will be up shortly, but for now review! xxx


	4. Coffee

**Three: Coffee.**

**Brooklyn, 6 am**

They had been sat in the diner for hours, yet it seemed like barely ten minutes since they had walked through the door.

The neon sign that buzzed happily above the bathroom doors and kitchen door no longer irritated Effy; the red leather seats didn't seem tacky to Damon anymore. Everything suddenly seemed very sweet and almost beautiful, right down to the overly bright overhead lights. Even the coffee didn't hold a horrible fake taste anymore.

Damon leaned back and sipped his coffee thoughtfully. Effy was stunning; he had decided that the second she walked into the bar last night. Her hair was always tousled and exactly the same chocolate brown shade of Elena's. Her eyes were bright blue like the sky, sapphires and the ocean all rolled into one, just like Rebekah's. She was cool as ice, secretive as a teenagers diary, and sometimes as flirty as Katherine had been.

Maybe, he thought, that was why he liked her.

He brushed that thought aside rather quickly.

Effy was more than any of them. She was young, yet so remarkably bright that she surprised him. She was so sharp tongued (so much so that she could never be like Elena) yet could be so sweet spoken (so that she could never be Katherine) but she clearly knew what was right and wrong (she couldn't be Rebekah).

To him, she was the perfect mix.

Effy knew he was watching her.

Holding her cup in her hands, lips pursed to blow on the hot liquid carefully, she looked up at him.

His eyes astonished her. They stared deep into her soul, not once flickering away. That should of made her uneasy but it didn't. She was sure that if anyone else was to look at her with so much intrigue she would run a mile.

But not with Damon, never with Damon.

He made her feel calm, relaxed, tranquil. It was a welcome change from the emotions she usually felt around people; usually those of hesitance, reluctance and a wish to avoid them.

Her eyes stayed on his for a while before beginning to wander. His skin was perfect; creamy and flawless, like hers, but filled with strength that hers wasn't. He was like a marble statue that had come to life; she was like a pure white swan. His hair was jet black, slightly floppy over his forehead, but when the light shone upon it dozens of rainbow colours were revealed.

He truly was a wondrous sight.

"What can I get you?" a pretty blonde waitress asked, notebook and pen poised ready to scribble down their order.

Damon didn't even look at the menu. "Pancakes and maple syrup, scrambled eggs and a large coffee. Effy?"

"Eggs and bacon with a side of French toast. Oh, and another coffee."

The waitress smiled and walked away. Effy leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the sticky table.

"So we've been sat here for three hours and I still know pretty much nothing about you."

Effy raised one perfect dark eyebrow. "I could say the same about you."

Damon smirked. "Touché Effy, touché."

She smirked right back at him, a glimmer in her icy blue eyes.

"I'm serious though, I'm curious about you."

Effy looked right at him, an action he took as a sign to continue. "I want to know more about you."

The waitress returned with their order and Damon could of bit into her neck and drained her of blood right there, simply for ruining the moment. She put down the food quickly and walked away. He was glad.

Effy picked up her fork and began stabbing at her eggs. "Like what?"

Damon was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected her to actually give him permission to ask questions.

He recovered quickly, however.

"I want to know about your family."

She looked up, fork paused halfway between her plate and her mouth. "Seriously?"

He nodded and she narrowed her eyes. Family was definitely not her favourite subject… but what did she care what Damon thought? She barely knew him, after all.

"I'm the youngest child and only daughter of Anthea and Jim Stonem. I have a brother called Tony- he's twenty now and lives in Cardiff with his girlfriend."

Damon paused, expecting more. "That's it?"

"Yep." She went back to eating her eggs. "Now it's your turn."

"What?"

Effy swallowed the mouthful of food she was chewing and stared at him like he was stupid. "It's your turn to tell me about your family. That's only fair, don't you think?"

Damon sighed and leaned back, putting down his fork. "I was born in Mystic Falls. My mother died whilst giving birth to my younger brother Stefan, leaving us to live with our father. His name was Giuseppe Salvatore. My younger brother was the golden boy, I was always the naughty one. He looks after the family business now."

"Is that it?"

Damon smirked; she was playing him at his own game, he liked that.

"Yep. Now it's your turn again. I want to know about your friends."

Effy froze for a moment- a moment too long, for Damon noticed- before speaking. "My best friend is called Pandora, I call her Panda. She's crazy and immature, she lives with her boyfriend Thomas- another friend of mine- in London. She goes to Oxford University. I miss her."

Damon did something neither of them expected. He reached out and touched her hand gently, a soft smile on his face.

Ignoring the action, Effy continued. "I have this other friend- he's called Cook. He's crazy too- impulsive and careless and completely fucking mental," a small smile crept onto her face now. "But that's why we all loved him so much."

Damon felt a strange feeling in his stomach. Could it be jealousy?

That was stupid, he knew. Why should he feel jealous of a boy that Effy was obviously no longer in contact with, when he was the one sitting with her now?

She continued talking, and he listened intently. She told him all about Emily and Katie- the feisty twins who fought constantly- and Naomi, whom was Emily's girlfriend (that had apparently caused a lot of friction between the twins). She described JJ as a sweet boy who was obsessed with magic and was forever trying to keep the group's friendship alive, and how he was still in Bristol with his girlfriend Lara and her son. Lastly, she spoke about a boy named Freddie.

"He loved me and I loved him. But we made each other do crazy things; he quite literally made me go insane. We couldn't leave each other though, no matter how much we wanted to or needed to. We just couldn't."

Effy stopped speaking and removed her hand from beneath Damon's.

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

Effy didn't reply for a long moment. She simply stabbed at the food in front of her. Just as Damon was about to say it didn't matter, she spoke.

"He was killed. By my doctor, of all people. After that I had to leave. So I did, and here I am."

Silence enveloped them for a long time. Damon felt no pity for this girl, for he knew exactly how she felt. He had been in her position, he had lost someone he cared about a long time ago. Only difference was, Katherine had come back.

"I guess it's my turn to tell you about my friends."

Effy nodded.

"I don't have many. I'm not the kind of guy that has a dozen best friends, and when I think about it, the best friend I've ever had was my little brother. But Stefan and I have our issues, ones that are too bad to solve. I've had other friends, but they all still live in Mystic Falls…" he went on to describe cute Caroline, with her blonde hair and shocking amount of power she held over people. He explained about her relationship with Tyler, who was equally as fiery as Caroline. His eyes softened when he spoke about Elena, the girl whom was soon to marry his younger brother, he told her.

"This Elena means a lot to you." It was more a statement than a question.

Damon nodded and cut up his pancakes. "Yeah. She does."

His expression became wistful, and Effy could see a more immature version of him. The façade disappeared, leaving behind an innocent boy. It made her smile.

"Have you finished your food?" Damon asked, the mask covering his face once more.

Effy nodded.

"Let's go. I'll walk you home."

He threw a handful of notes on the table and began to walk away, signalling for Effy to follow. She thought about staying behind as a way of proving that she didn't like being told what to do, but decided against it. Damon didn't seem like the type who would be bothered by a young girl's tantrum. He would probably just keep on walking, right out the door and out of her life.

A small part of her told her that she should stay behind. But something inside her made her get up, grab her coat and follow him. He was bad news, she knew nothing about him but she knew that much. And yet, she couldn't begin to imagine not being around him.

They walked through Brooklyn in silence, both lost in thought. The diner was a ten minute walk from Effy's apartment, something she suddenly hated. She didn't want to leave him- who knew if she would ever see him again?

They were getting attached to each other, and hadn't Damon swore to himself when he left Mystic Falls that he would never grow to care about a human again? With their fickle hearts, he was likely to get burned several more times during his eternal existence.

But Effy was just like him. She was broken too, he could see that. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand, giving it gentle squeeze. If she cared she didn't let on, simply continued staring straight ahead with cool blue eyes.

They continued the walk still clutching each others hands. As they drew up outside Effy's apartment building, she felt a ping of sadness pinch her heart. She didn't want to say goodbye to Damon; not yet anyway.

"This is it?" he asked her.

She nodded, looking down at her Dr Marten clad feet.

"Meet me again tomorrow, same time and place?"

She nodded again.

"See you tomorrow then."

"Goodbye Damon."

She turned without looking at him and marched straight into her building. She climbed the stairs slowly, her mind whirring and heart beating. She didn't want to leave him. She wanted him to come upstairs with her, to never leave her.

Of course, he couldn't.

He had a life, a job, a house, maybe even a girlfriend.

(Oh, how wrong she turned out to be.)

She found her door- a bright red that was probably once a cheery sight but the paint had chipped away and it reminded Effy of blood- and was pushing her key through the lock when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Effy," it was Damon, all gorgeous six ft of him, looking slightly dishevelled but somehow still unbearably handsome.

"Yes?" she replied softly.

He responded by cupping her face roughly in his hands and kissing her. He didn't even start out soft; the passion unearthed itself immediately. Effy kissed him back equally as hard.

"Hello to you too." She smirked when they pulled away.

Damon smiled slightly. "Are you going to let me in? Your neighbour is looking at us funny."

Effy turned on her heel and pushed open the door, striding inside. She was halfway through her hall when she realised he didn't follow her.

"Fucking hell Damon; come in."

With a grin he stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him.

She kicked off her boots- a sturdy brown pair of doc martens that she adored- and threw her coat on the black leather sofa. Then she turned to Damon.

Before she could speak he rushed to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his lips to hers. She kissed him back, fiery and passionate. She bit his lip and he groaned in pleasure. Soon she was pushed against the wall, legs wrapped around his waist.

An hour later, they lay on the tiled kitchen floor together, staring up at the ceiling.

"Effy?"

"Yes?"

"You're not very good at cooking, are you?"

Effy propped herself up on her elbows. "What the… oh, the stains on the ceilings. No Damon, no I'm not."

"I'll teach you sometime."

Effy smiled; that secret smile that fucked everyone up. "Thanks."


	5. Tea

**Four: Tea**

**Brooklyn**

**10 am**

They didn't wake up until late the next morning. They had tumbled into bed in the early hours of the morning and still lay together, their limbs tangled.

Damon woke first. He was careful to not move too much, as Effy lay with her head on his chest, her chestnut curls sprawled across his pale skin.

To him, it looked right. It felt normal.

For the first time in years- maybe decades- he smiled a genuine smile. And then, after checking Effy was still sound asleep, he allowed memories to seep through his brain.

He remembered Elena; he remembered her the way he loved her the most: as a sweet, innocent human. She was beautiful in his mind. She was laughing and smiling; her eyes were open with honesty and naivety. The way she could of continued to be if he and Stefan hadn't intervened. But then the image turned nasty; he remembered locking her away to force her to find her humanity, he remembered the intensely dead emotion in her eyes as Jeremy died... a sharp pain stabbed at his chest. That was his fault, or was it? Maybe it was in Elena's fate all along...

Now his mind was open, everything came back.

Alaric his best friend, drinking bourbon by his side...

Rose leaning into his chest as she took her last breath...

Caroline in his bed, that green scarf wrapped round her neck to hide the bite marks he had made... then later, her becoming one of the strongest vampires he had ever met...

And lastly, Stefan. His little brother's heart broke because of him, because of his selfish nature. He wondered idly where his brother was hiding now, wrapped up in the world of brooding and weakness.

Besides him, Effy began to wake. She made little purring sounds as she woke, mumbling about needing a drink.

"Good morning," he whispered gently.

"Hi," she smiled and stretched.

She rolled away from him and sat up, pulling her oversized t-shirt over her slender body. Damon felt a frown light up his features; a stab of jealousy hit his heart. Jealousy... that was something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He didn't like Effy wearing some other boy's shirt; she should be wearing _his_ shirt and _only_ his.

"Urg, I need a drink." She groaned.

"It's a little early to be drinking Eff," Damon replied with a laugh.

Effy froze. Something in his voice, in his tone, reminded her so much of Freddie... she recovered quickly and laughed along with him.

"No, I mean a normal drink. A cup of tea would be perfect."

Damon grimaced. "How can you like that stuff? It looks like dirty dish water."

Effy rolled her eyes. "Not real English tea."

He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she showed him how to make 'real English tea', in her words. After five minutes, she held out a steaming mug for him.

"Try it," she demanded.

She was small, she was cute, but dear god she had a temper on her.

He took a wary sip, his eyes locked with hers. The liquid was warm, sweet, and surprisingly nice. But it only ignited Damon's real hunger; he realised suddenly he needed blood. He needed it soon.

"Hm, not too bad..."

Effy laughed. "Yeah, you love it really!"

He grinned, although it seemed more like a grimace through his intense hunger. "I know this seems really shitty, but I need to go. I have something I need to pick up... I could meet you tonight though?"

Effy narrowed her ice blue eyes, trying to decipher the truth. To her surprise she was met with Damon's openly honest features.

"Sure, I need to sort some stuff out anyway. I'll see you tonight."

Damon walked at a normal pace until he was safely away from watching eyes. Then he let his instincts take over. He found himself in Soho, a small estate run by drug addicts and prostitutes. Nobody would notice if they vanished suddenly.

He strolled through the rubbish filled streets, looking out for easy prey. He found it quickly; a red haired girl stood on a street corner, wobbling in her heels with dark circles under her eyes.

"Hello darling," Damon drawled, turning on his charm easily.

The girl looked up at him, her dark eyes completely spaced out. "Hi."

"Want to come with me?"

She nodded and took his hand.

But as they walked away, Damon had the intense feeling that he was being watched.

_a/n: so so so so sorry for the longest delay EVER. I've had so much to do and the worst writers block. But I'm back, and already writing the next chapter! _


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